Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, as with many other industries, hit rock bottom with the successive impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. Analogous to a half-cut tree trying to sprout leaves and grow, the tourism sector underwent a recovery phase last year.
At present, with comprehensive 360-degree promotional campaigns being implemented by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and a significant number of tourists arriving on the island, an opportunity has arisen for the nation in the field of medical tourism.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the percentage of tourists visiting Sri Lanka for health/ayurvedic treatment in relation to overall monthly arrivals over the past six months shows positive growth.
As per the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology Unit, medical tourism is a form of health tourism that commonly refers to people travelling to another country to obtain medical treatment.
Medical tourism and wellness tourism are two different facets; while both involve individuals travelling for health-related reasons, they have distinct differences in their primary objectives and focus.
The primary goal of medical tourism is to seek medical treatments, surgeries, or procedures that may not be readily available in one country, which are more affordable or are of higher quality in another country.
Wellness tourism, on the other hand, focuses on enhancing overall well-being, preventing illness, and promoting a healthy lifestyle. It often includes activities aimed at relaxation, rejuvenation, and maintaining good health.
Considering that wellness tourism in Sri Lanka is thriving, with enhancements in ayurveda, indigenous medicine, spa and wellness retreats, yoga, and meditation alongside an action plan developed by the SLTDA, the country aims to harness the potential of medical tourism in the 2022-2025 period.
Medical tourism has been emerging globally, but Sri Lanka is still in the early stages of taking action to improve its medical tourism sector in order to attract visitors.
Private sector involvement needed
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business on the plan to improve medical tourism, SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando said: “There is a plan, but no major development has taken place in the past. At present, some individuals are interested in coming to Sri Lanka to establish more privately-oriented hospitals specialising in certain areas. However, things are at a very early stage and none of them have started work yet.”
Fernando said that Western medicine, with an emphasis primarily on sports tourism, was specifically focused on medical tourism. “Discussions are ongoing; it’s a bit too premature to specify an exact direction,” he said, anticipating that the SLTDA will receive formal proposals over the next couple of months.
Speaking further, Fernando noted that medical tourism was more a matter for the private sector, where investors could be brought to Sri Lanka. He noted: “Our role is to facilitate and encourage more investment to come in. There are opportunities for some hotels to get involved and convert their properties into medical tourism centres. In relation to property owned by the SLTDA, we will get actively involved in leasing it out for development based on the project proposal received.”
The SLTDA Chairman pointed out that there were markets in the European Union – such as Germany – that Sri Lanka could target in order to attract medical tourists: “Given the good medical facilities in Sri Lanka, we can capitalise on them and attract different types of tourists for medical treatment, as in India and Thailand. However, the required facilities and equipment must be focused on and developed using professional expertise.
“Our doctors will also benefit from this. However, there is a possibility that most specialists who will be performing the procedures will be brought down from other countries. This, of course, will be a joint venture with the local corporation.”
Need for infrastructure development
When The Sunday Morning Business spoke to Minister of Health and Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana regarding developing medical tourism in Sri Lanka, he stressed on strengthening both medical and hospital services in the country.
The Minister said: “In terms of tourism, both allopathic and ayurvedic medicine should be developed to cater to a specific segment of people who visit Sri Lanka. The ayurvedic side has already been strengthened with numerous qualified practitioners offering services in tourist areas.” He added that Sri Lanka already had facilities established by the private sector in Colombo for allopathic medical practice.
Pathirana further said that the public sector currently did not have an arrangement catering specifically to medical tourists. However, he added that in the long run, there was a need for infrastructure development ensuring proper facilities, such as attached bathrooms and other amenities.
Currently, some Europeans preferred to use healthcare services in their own countries if the cost was flexible and bearable, the Minister noted. However, he also observed that it was convenient for them to travel to Sri Lanka for their medical needs considering the extended waiting times in their native countries. Many people arrived from the Maldives and other countries in search of medical facilities, he added.
“We need to strengthen the competency of our workforce and invest in infrastructure development. In the long run, we are collaborating with the SLTDA to promote such practices. At the moment, we are urging the private sector to liaise with them because the Government still lacks facilities at certain levels,” he stressed.
“Although immediate substantial spending in the Government sector may not be feasible, our long-term goal is to develop such facilities. Starting from next year, we are aiming to secure allocations from the Budget, with a specific focus on this. We hope that the budgetary allocations will be provided by 2025 for both long-term and mid-term plans,” Pathirana briefed.
Potential for improvement
The Sunday Morning Business also spoke to Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Assistant Secretary Dr. Prasad Herath, who has studied and researched the potential of medical tourism in Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka is now focusing on medical tourism to draw in revenue to the country. We have raised concerns about Sri Lanka’s potential to make significant advancements in medical tourism at the highest levels, including through discussions with both the former and current Presidents as well as other key officials. However, the matter is still in the negotiation phase,” Dr. Herath said.
Minister Pathirana stressed that Sri Lanka had one of the best healthcare systems in the world and that the country had much potential for medical tourism. “We have private sector hospitals that are Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited. Therefore, the US administrative system recognises these hospitals as equivalent to the American system in terms of standards and practices,” Pathirana pointed out. JCI accreditation and certification is recognised as a global leader in healthcare, quality of care, and patient safety.
Noting that foreign patients preferred facilities operating under international standards, he said: “In Sri Lanka, we currently have four main private hospitals: Asiri, Nawaloka, Lanka Hospital, and Durdans, all of which are JCI-certified. This certification ensures that these hospitals meet international standards for treatment and quality care. As a result, they can offer a wide range of healthcare services to both international and domestic patients.”
According to a research paper published in the Nāgānanda International Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, the availability of transport facilities, tourist attractions, accommodation facilities, and the number of doctors and nurses are sufficient to develop medical tourism.
In addition, the research states that the cheaper cost of health services, lesser waiting time, and better supportive facilities obtained from accredited facilities are the main incentives in attracting medical tourists to Sri Lanka.
“We need to identify the sections where improvement is possible and pinpoint any existing gaps in the medical sector to improve medical tourism,” the Minister noted.
“We have identified 40 treatment methods, including ayurvedic ones, covering various areas such as dental procedures, eye surgeries, eye treatments, general treatments, and major surgeries like knee replacements. We have potential in all these areas. Additionally, there is a need for further development, especially considering the private sector,” he asserted.
Nevertheless, the Government is responsible for making policy decisions, which is crucial. Pathirana pointed out that the Government must make decisions, initiate them, and then implement the rules and regulations. In addition, he also stressed the importance of introducing medical visas.
“We proposed postgraduate programmes related to medical tourism and tropical medicine to the relevant authorities two-and-a-half years ago. These are areas that are currently lacking in our country. They need to be addressed and the potential workforce should be educated to promote the development of medical tourism in Sri Lanka,” Pathirana noted.
Brain drain in the health sector
Based on data from the GMOA for the period between 30 August 2022 and 30 August 2023, 526 medical officers were on extended foreign leave, 200 doctors had departed without notifying the relevant authorities, and 197 medical officers had resigned.
Given the significant number of medical professionals leaving the country due to the economic crisis, could developing medical tourism provide incentive for qualified medical professionals to remain in the country?
Fernando agreed, saying: “Yes, because their earning capacity will be much higher with the development of medical tourism. Professionals are relocating for various reasons, but there is certainly potential for local doctors, especially those with specialisations. The brain drain could also be minimised to a certain degree by creating opportunities for them. Additionally, the country can generate more foreign exchange by offering these services.”
Meanwhile, Minister Pathirana said: “In the realm of medical practitioners, we have witnessed around 1,300 doctors leaving the country over the past couple of years. Simultaneously, a considerable number of qualified doctors are entering the medical field annually, with approximately 3,000 doctors joining the workforce. However, the challenge arises when some qualified specialists choose to migrate, which creates an unbearable situation for the country.”
He noted that training qualified specialists in different segments was a time-consuming process. “Historically, many doctors have sought opportunities in other countries due to higher salaries and the prospect of better education for their children. Despite our efforts, it is challenging to match the salaries offered abroad,” he said.
“We are optimistic that things are returning to normal, especially economically and socially. We witnessed a few incidents in the last couple of months where some doctors who had gone abroad returned. It appears that establishing themselves in those countries had not been as feasible as they had initially thought. The current trend is somewhat stable and there is a possibility of it reversing in time to come,” Pathirana concluded.
Tourists visiting SL for health/ayurvedic treatment
Month
Percentage of health tourists
August 2023 0.37%
September 2023 0.37%
October 2023 0.66%
November 2023 0.66%
December 2023 0.66%
January 2024 0.84%